03 Apr 12 | Index Index, minipost
A Syrian citizen journalist who has been detained by authorities since Wednesday has reportedly been tortured during his arrest. Ali Mahmoud Othman, who ran the media centre in Baba Amr where Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik were killed, was arrested and initially detained at a military intelligence unit in Aleppo. Over the weekend, he was transferred to Damascus. Sunday Times photographer Paul Conroy told Channel 4 news that Othman had been tortured during his detention. The continuing campaign against local and international press in Syria is believed to be an attempt to “systematically dismantle” the anti-regime “citizen journalist network”.
21 Mar 12 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
A Syrian journalist has been beaten, arrested and detained whilst covering a protest in Damascus. Rudy Othman, a prominent freelance journalist, was arrested by security forces during a protest on Thursday, but his whereabouts, legal status, or condition have not been released by the Syrian government. This is the third occasion on which Othman, who has covered the Syrian uprising for a number of regional news outlets, has been detained.
14 Mar 12 | Index Index, minipost
Arab and foreign media who are in Syria “illegally” are being threatened by the information ministry. On 9 March, authorities threatened to take measures against Arab and foreign journalists who have entered the country “illegally” and against anyone cooperating with them. The minister accused journalists of fabricating reports, complicity with terrorists and suggested that covering the activities of those terrorists justified their crimes. Two Turkish journalists, Adem Ozkose, Middle East correspondent for Gercek Hayat magazine and columnist for newspaper Milat, and cameraman Hamit Coskun, who crossed into Syria a week ago, have been missing for four days.
28 Feb 12 | Middle East and North Africa, minipost, News and features
UPDATE 15:37 28/02/11: France’s President Sarkozy has said that Le Figaro correspondent Edith Bouvier has escaped Homs and is in Lebanon. This has not been fully confirmed.
The Sunday Times has confirmed that British photographer Paul Conroy has escaped from the besieged city of Homs in Syria. Conroy, who was injured in the attack that killed war Sunday Times war correspondent Marie Colvin and French journalist Remi Ochlik was smuggled out of the city by anti-government accidents and is now in Lebanon. There have been reports that several activists were killed by government forces during the escape. Several media workers remain trapped in Homs. The Syrian army’s elite 4th armoured division is reported to have been deployed to Homs, prompting fears of a further escalation of the government assault on the city.
